On St. Joseph's

I usually don't enjoy much of what the Courier-Journal prints, and I have been known to send a letter or two saying just that. I believe that a great article that informs the community and has true value to its readers, needs to be acknowledged as well. Thank you for revealing the story behind the St. Joseph's Children's Home board of directors.

Sounds like the board was not unlike our Congress - in need of term limits! I think it is so sad and selfish that this lawsuit filed by the ousted board members is moving forward. What about the children? These ousted adults needs to move on, and let St. Joe's move forward in a profitable and growing way that will help the children there. The children, after all, are the reason we have the facility. It's not for a group of adults to have something to add to their obituaries.

ELIZABETH GILL

Louisville 40207 -

Weak hand?

I had to laugh out loud at Sen. Mitch McConnell's Friday headline lament that he "had a weak hand" on the government shutdown and debt ceiling debacle. It was a hand that Mitch dealt to himself. For years he has pandered to tea party lunacy. And for what?

Two million people laid off, $30 billion and counting in losses to the American economy, and billions more added to the national deficit for shutting down the government and threatening to default on America's debt. If McConnell wants to blame someone for this fiasco, he should start with himself. Pandering is not leadership.

JACKSON M. ANDREWS

Louisville 40207 -

Money corrupts

I came across a letter in Sunday Forum, about the big money in politics. I must say I agree with the writer. Our politics is indeed corrupted by the big money, and Mitch McConnell led the fight to have corporations regarded as people.

Our elected officials spend more time on the phone with the big-money contributors than they presently do on the people's business. Meanwhile the victims of Super Storm Sandy suffered due to inaction. Katrina has never been fully addressed because of inaction. They did though manage to slip money into the continuing resolution for Colorado flood assistance. But, get this - one of the representatives from Colorado did not want to vote for money for Sandy relief.

As long as we have career politicians nothing for the people will ever be accomplished in Washington. We go to war for Wall Street, we refuse to downsize these giant banks that threaten our economy because it is displeasing to Wall Street. Unless, or until, we get rid of the influence of money in politics, such as muzzling the lobbyists, and having public funding for all elections we are stuck in this "mud of corruption."

F. MICKENS

Louisville 40241 -

Real health care

As has been the case since President Obama's first election, major media sources have totally ignored the real, true affordable care act; specifically I refer to HR 676, the Improved and Expanded Medicare for All Act. The president and Congress bent over backward to do the bidding of the insurance and pharmaceutical lobbies to disallow any discussion of a single-payer system and the result is the quagmire that has given us a shutdown of government and a huge bill to add to the already staggering national debt.

Unless and until we join the rest of the civilized world by going to universal health care, we will continue to see a shift to more and more employer-sponsored high-deductible coverage. And for those who were once denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions, they will still be denied coverage because they simply can't afford it. Health care is not a commodity to be dispensed based on profits. Come on, Courier-Journal, how about reporting something useful?

SCOTT B. PULLIAM

Taylorsville, Ky. 40071 -

Paul's 'misinformation'

When asked for advice by medical students at U of L, Rand Paul stated, "I never, ever cheated. I don't condone cheating. But I would sometimes spread misinformation. This is a great tactic. Misinformation can be very important. We spread the rumor that we knew what was on the test and it was definitely going to be all about the liver, we tried to trick all of our competing students into over-studying for the liver and not studying much else. So, that's my advice. Misinformation works."

Instead of reminding them that people's lives would be in their hands and to do the best they could, he suggested that what was important wasn't the information to be gained but the ranking which could be improved, not by studying but by tricking people who had worked harder.

Rand Paul said it himself - for him it wasn't about the friends he lied to or the patients who would some day be in his care, it was about his ego. It doesn't seem to matter if he had all the facts, because if he didn't, he admits he's willing to lie. Doesn't say much about him as a doctor or as a leader.